CHICAGO, IL – Hazel Technologies, Inc., developer of USDA-funded AgTech products that protect and extend produce quality, is slowing the yellowing process of limes for lime growers and wholesalers across the United States. Collaborators like Pharr, TX-based produce shipper, London Fruit, Inc. and Pittsburg, KS-based produce wholesaler, Martinous Produce Company are seeing extended freshness in their limes, thanks to Hazel Tech’s flagship technology, Hazel 100™.
Limes have experienced exponential growth in the United States over the last decade, thanks to the everyday shopper’s interest in the category. The retail availability of limes per person nearly doubled over the last decade, going from 2.4 lbs. in 2010 to 3.9 lbs. in 2020, according to the USDA. With more shoppers looking for perfectly green limes, a key indicator of freshness for the fruit, growers and wholesalers are turning to technologies like Hazel 100™ to ensure their fruit makes it to retailers at the greenest and freshest state possible.
“Hazel 100™ is a very cost-effective value-add that helps extend lime shelf-life for our customers,” said Amanda Horney, business development manager at London Fruit, “The product provides them with a sense of security, especially right now, near the end of the summer when limes turn yellow so quickly. It’s the perfect product to extend their shelf-life.”
“I heard about Hazel® through our lime supplier, London Fruit,” Farris Martinous, owner of Martinous Produce Company, “We started adding their product, Hazel 100™, to our limes and it’s really helped us with the shelf-life for our retail customers. Since we’ve been using it, I don’t think we’ve had any problems, but if we have had any problems, it was very minor. I think it is a win-win for everybody.”
During a 20-day trial in 2021, Hazel Tech’s postharvest team compared the overall skin color found in ten boxes of Hazel 100™-treated limes and ten boxes of untreated limes. On days 4 through 20 of the trial, results showed Hazel 100™ sachets reduced yellowing in the lime’s exterior across the board. On the final day of the trial, 30% of the Hazel 100™-treated limes had greener skin than the control.
“Consistently greener skin in Hazel 100-treated limes in this trial confirms our technology’s ability to extend the shelf life of limes,” said Andrea Rivera, Postharvest Customer Success Manager at Hazel Technologies, “Adding those additional days gives the lime industry more time to get high quality fruit to people wanting the freshest limes they can buy.”
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About Hazel Technologies, Inc.:
Hazel Technologies, Inc. is a USDA-funded startup company that develops new solutions to extend the quality shelf life of fresh produce and reduce food waste. Founded in 2015, Hazel Tech services over 300 of the world’s largest fresh produce packers, shippers, and retailers. Selected as a Finalist for Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas and winner of “Best Sustainable Packaging” at the 2020 World Food Innovation Awards, the company’s patented and patent-pending technologies have been tested by top academic research programs.
For more information, visit www.hazeltechnologies.com.
About London Fruit, Inc.:
London Fruit, Inc. is a year-round importer of Avocados, Limes, Lemons, and Mangos from Mexico, Peru, and Argentina. Since 1981, London Fruit, Inc. has provided direct grower marketing and insightful crop intel to wholesalers and retailers throughout North America. Based out of South Texas, London Fruit, Inc. offers high-quality conventional and organic commodities with value-added services such as shelf-life extension programs, cold-chain management, and customizable consumer ready packaging options.
For more information, visit https://londonfruit.com.
About Martinous Produce Company:
Started back in 1911, Martinous Produce Company is a wholesale fresh produce distributor based in Pittsburg, Kansas. Now in its fourth generation of ownership, this family-run operation is dedicated to providing product at peak freshness for its distribution network of both large and small retailers.
For more information, visit https://www.martinousproduce.com.
